Raytown Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Robbery with a Plastic Gun

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Raytown, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for robbing a credit union with a plastic gun.

Stephen McCrary, 57, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner to 11 years in federal prison without parole.

On Feb. 14, 2018, McCrary pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. McCrary admitted that he stole $3,815 from the Community America Credit Union located in the Research Medical Center, 2316 E. Meyer Blvd., Kansas City, Mo.

Surveillance footage showed McCrary approach the teller at about 3 p.m. on Sept. 7, 2016. According to court documents, McCrary approached the teller counter, put a plastic bag on the counter, pulled out what appeared to be a firearm, pointed it at the teller, and demanded “all of the money in the drawer.” The victim teller initially froze out of fear and then complied with his demands and turned over $3,815. After taking the money, McCrary fled.

A hospital security officer saw McCrary leave the hospital property and proceed towards a nearby street. Officers eventually stopped and arrested him in the neighborhood adjacent to the hospital. At the time of his arrest, he was carrying two plastic bags that contained the clothing he wore during the robbery, a black plastic replica firearm and the stolen money.

McCrary has 13 prior felony convictions in state court, four of which are convictions for first-degree robberies. All of the robberies were of businesses while McCrary was armed with a firearm, or what appeared to be an operable firearm. He has been incarcerated, on parole, or on probation for 34 of the past 39 years (since his first robbery in 1977). He was on parole for first-degree robbery when he committed the credit union robbery, having been released from state prison three months earlier.

This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Moeder. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.